Design Guide
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Material used : Silicone rubber
Function :Establish contact between the LCD & PCB .
All elastomeric inter-connectors are 'custom made' Zebra connectors offer a wide variety of application possibilities. Unlike other connectors, they do not entail soldering to make reliable connections. They require a minimum of installation hardware considerations, allowing for very small packaging structures to support low profile display and microelectronic interfacing.
When properly dimensioned, long-life performance can be assured and airtight connections without additional precautions can be realized.
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Pitch of Inter-Connector(P)
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- More than three (3) conductive contacts per electrode of PCB/LCD.
- Distance from center-center of each conductor in a connector
- Alternate layers of insulation width (i) & conductor width (c) silicone material evenly spread over the entire length of inter-connector.
- e.g. Pitch (0.1 mm) = i (0.05 mm) + c (0.05 mm)
- Basically, 2 conductors per electrode are often adequate, but 3 conductors per electrode are always recommended to ensure reliable connections and to eliminate "intermittent contact"
- e.g. LCD pitch = 1.2 mm (with contact pad 0.6 mm) Inter-connector pitch = 0.18 mm is recommended"
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Inter-Connector - Length(L)
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L > Length of LCD pads : ±0.2mm or above
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The overall length is recommended to be extended a min. of 0.5mm beyond the edge of the contact at each end of the connector.
Inter-Connector - Width(W)
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W ≤ width of LCD ledge.
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Its design is critical in eliminating buckle when clamping force is applied to the connector.
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If the buckle is too severe, contact shall lost completely.
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If connector width is too thin, it may require holder to facilitate assembly, prevent accidental side contact & eliminate alignment problems.
Inter-Connector - Uncompressed Height(H)
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Connector height is determined by the separation distance between LCD & PCB, including tolerance variations.
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It is critical to calculate the correct compression ( deflection rate ) to be applied to the connector for reliable connections.
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Compression ( deflection rate ) to be applied to connectors varies with different types, dimensions of inter-connectors.
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Generally speaking, compression set for inter-connector is ~ 10 - 15%
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Guideline for reference :
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H < 6 mm, ~ 15% compression of connector's height
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6 mm < H < 10 mm, ~ 13% compression of connector's height
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≥10 mm, ~ 10% compression of connector's height
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X = n / 1 - p Formula to determine the uncompressed height of the connector
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x = uncompressed height
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n = compressed height (= separation distance between LCD & PCB)
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p = percent of desired compression
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Compression load should be spread evenly over the top surface of the inter-connectors.
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To avoid bending, we recommend to use holders especially for tall height inter-connector.
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Holder should give space for horizontal expansion of the inter-connector during compression
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Conductive Core Width
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Conductive width is important in determining the cost, resistance and hardness of the connector.
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For connector width > 1.3 mm, the more conductive material a connector contains, the more expensive it is.
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Standard core width = 0.6 mm
Applications
Design Guide
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Pitch (P): More than three (3) conductive contacts per electrode of PCB/LCD
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Length (L) : + 2mm or above
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Uncompressed Height (H) : Distance between LCD & PCB +10-15% compression rate
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Width (W) : determined by the width of LCD ledge
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